


trouble and temper

by suituuup



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Bickering, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Humor, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:14:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28637577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suituuup/pseuds/suituuup
Summary: Chloe smashes into Beca's car. Or Beca smashes into Chloe's car. Jury is still out on that, but one thing is for sure: sparks fly. Not necessarily the good kind.[One explicit scene, the rest is M rated for cursing and implied adult themes]
Relationships: Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Comments: 57
Kudos: 294





	trouble and temper

**Author's Note:**

> this was supposed to be 5k. Whoops.
> 
> The first scene is inspired by a modern Pride and Prejudice fic turned into book called "Sparks Fly, Tires Skid" by Ari Rhoge.

“What the _actual_ fuck.” 

“Beca, calm down—” 

Ignoring her best friend’s plea, Beca all but rips her seatbelt off and stalks out of her vehicle, anger flaring within her as she takes in the damage. 

Her heated gaze moves up when she catches movement out the corner of her eye, as the dumbass of a driver steps out of their own car. 

“Are you freaking _blind??_ ” 

Having expected a damn _apology_ , Beca recoils harshly at the attack, seizing the redhead with a glare as the stranger marches up to her. 

“Excuse me??” She all but cries, her jaw-dropping in shock. “ _You_ cut me off!” 

She briefly registers a blonde stepping out of the car parked behind the stranger’s. 

An irritated scoff puffs past the other woman’s lips and her eyes roll skyward. “I’m _sorry_ , did you get your driver’s license in a freakin’ Christmas cracker??” 

If they were cartoon characters, there would definitely be smoke seeping out of Beca’s ears at this point. 

“Chloe. Are you alright?” The blonde questions, gently taking the other woman’s arm — _Chloe_ , apparently. 

“I’m fine,” Chloe grumbles, barely acknowledging her as her gaze is still locked with Beca’s in a glaring match. 

(if Beca wasn’t so _pissed_ , she would herself acknowledge how incredibly vibrant those ocean blues are.)

“How about we all take a deep breath?” Jesse suggests with his hands stretched out in front of him, Beca only now noticing his presence beside her. “At least none of us got hurt.” 

“He’s right, Chloe, it could have been much worse,” Chloe’s friend agrees. 

“Hey, don’t I know you from somewhere?” Jesse’s question makes Beca whirl around on him. “I think we go to the same gym.” 

The blonde brightens, nodding slowly. “Oh, that’s right. I’m Aubrey.” 

Jesse steps forward, extending his hand with a charming smile that Beca knows all too well. “Jesse.” 

Beca shakes her head in disbelief. “My car is _wrecked_ , dude, and you’re _flirting?”_

“Oh _come on_ , you’re over-reacting,” Chloe says condescendingly with another infuriating eye roll. 

“ _Am I?_ Then why is my fucking front bumper half hanging??” 

“It wouldn’t be half-hanging if you knew how to fucking _drive_.” 

“Okay!” Aubrey cuts in, releasing a strained chuckle. “This is getting out of control. How about you two exchange information like two civilized, _reasonable_ people and we’ll all be on our way.” 

Beca grumbles a string of swear words under her breath but marches back to her car to grab her phone and a business card. “Jesse, would you mind calling my insurance and asking for a tow truck? I need to let Beyoncé know I’ll be late for our meeting,” she mutters as she scrolls through her phone, blindly handing Chloe her business card. A clearly humorless snicker makes her gaze slide up. “Something funny?” 

“You _had_ to drop a name to belittle me, didn’t you?” 

It’s Beca’s turn to scoff this time around. “Wow. I’m just gonna ignore that attempt to pick a pointless fight.” She shoots Beyoncé a text and slides her phone into her back pocket, briefly registering Jesse and Aubrey hitting it off and inwardly rolling her eyes. “Do you have a business card or something so I can write down your info?” 

“Nope, sorry. I’m just a _boring_ school teacher.” 

Beca makes a face. “Yikes. Poor kids.” 

They eventually set aside their rudeness long enough to exchange insurance information, and Chloe and her friend drive away without a second glance. 

“I just got Aubrey’s number,” Jesse boasts next to her, grinning like an idiot.

Beca crosses her arms over her chest petulantly. “That’s great, Jess, I’m _thrilled_ for you. I’ll pass on the wedding though, there’s no way I could be around that woman for more than five minutes without wanting to _strangle_ her.”

She is kidding, of course. 

Little did she know she’d be staring at the wedding invitation less than a year later. 

_“Becaw!”_

“What the fuck, dude. You’re getting married??” She all but spits into the receiver of her phone when her best friend picks up. “What were you _thinking?_ ” 

_“Thanks for the warm wishes, Bec, Aubrey and I are thrilled.”_

Beca pinches the bridge of her nose and puffs out a sigh. “Sorry. I just— aren’t you guys moving a little fast? You’ve been together for what… ten months? I’m just looking out for you.” 

_“I know it’s pretty fast but… when you know, you know.”_

She’s met Aubrey a few times here and there, managing to squeeze in a few dinners at Jesse’s despite her busy schedule, and she has to admit that her best friend does seem happy. Happier than he’s ever been, actually, and it’s unfair of her to let her own insecurities about commitment ruin that. 

“Sorry. I _am_ happy for you, dude. Aubrey is a great girl.” 

A bit rigid for Beca’s taste, but she isn’t the one marrying her. 

_“Thanks, Becaw. That means a lot.”_ A pause. _“I’m glad you called, actually, because I wanted to ask you if you’d be my best man. Well, woman, in our case.”_

Beca feels a tightness in her throat as she registers Jesse’s question. “Sure,” she croaks out, hating the way her voice betrays her (secretly) sappy heart. 

_“Aw, Becs. Are you crying?”_

“Am not,” Beca mumbles, blinking furiously to prove him wrong, even if he’s not physically present to attest to that. 

_“You totally are!”_

The triumph in his voice makes her groan. 

“Fuck you, dude.” 

_“Love you, Becs. Oh! One more thing.”_

“Yeah?” 

_“Aubrey and I will be doing a joint bachelor party—”_

“Lame.” 

Jesse chuckles. _“And one of your tasks, if you’re okay with that, is to well, organize it. With Aubrey’s maid of honor...”_

The way Jesse lets his sentence hang allows Beca to put two and two, and another groan escapes her lips. 

“The unhinged redhead? _Seriously?_ _Dude._ ”

 _“Her name’s Chloe, and she’s_ **_not_ ** _unhinged. I swear she’s a really sweet person once you get to know her. She was just having a bad day, so were you, and sparks flew.”_

“I hate you for making me do this. You owe me big time.” 

_“I’ll text you her number so you guys can get in touch.”_

All Beca offers in reply is another grunt. They hang up shortly after, her phone lighting up less than a minute later with Chloe Beale’s contact card and a text from Jesse. 

**Jesse [11:03am]**

_Please be nice._

Beca lets out a heavy sigh and goes back to work. She’s in the middle of a song arrangement when her phone chimes with a new text from an unknown number. 

_Hi, Beca. This is Chloe, Aubrey’s maid of honor. You and I are supposed to plan their bachelor party. Should we meet up to talk about it?_

Beca plucks her phone from her desk. 

**Beca**

_I don’t know, are you going to bite my head off again?_

She remembers Jesse’s words and deletes the words with a grumble. 

**Beca [4:16pm]**

_Yeah, sure. I’m free this Saturday if sometime in the afternoon works for you?_

**Chloe [4:17pm]**

_Perfect._

They agree on a time and a place, and Beca launches herself back into her ongoing project until 2 am, calling it a night when her vision starts to blur. The rest of her week is uneventful but pretty busy, and the urge to cancel on Chloe come Saturday is pretty strong because she wants nothing more than to chill at home in her pajamas. 

But Jesse is counting on her, so she begrudgingly takes a shower and gets dressed, picking out black skinny jeans, a red sleeveless button-down, and her leather jacket to wear. She slams her feet into her biker boots and grabs her keys, heading out the door a little before two. 

The Starbucks they agreed to meet at is pretty quiet when Beca gets there. Her eyes quickly scan the room for the person she’s meeting, and upon coming up empty, Beca steps up to the counter to order herself a tall black coffee. She picks a table in the corner and since Chloe appears to be running a little late, opens her Macbook to keep working on her ongoing project. 

“Hi there.” 

Beca glances over her computer, narrowing her eyes at that bright, clearly fake smile. “Hey.” 

“Sorry I’m late,” Chloe chirps as she shrugs off her coat, draping it over the opposite chair and dragging it back so she can sit. 

“Oh, so you _can_ apologize,” Beca bites out before she can help herself. 

That smile instantly drops and Chloe scoffs, shaking her head. “Holding grudges, are we? I’m sure you had no trouble fixing your _precious_ Audi if you work with people like Beyoncé.” 

Beca cocks her eyebrow. “So you _do_ agree it was your fault?” 

“I did _not_ say that.” She pinches the bridge of her nose. “Look, can we just move on?”

“ _F_ _ine,_ ” Beca sighs. It’s been ten months, after all, and she knows first impressions can be misleading. Besides, Jesse did assure her Chloe was a sweet person. “So our two idiotic best friends fell in love, huh?” 

Chloe snickers. “I guess something good did come out of you not abiding by the laws, after all.”

 _“Seriously?_ ” Beca grits her teeth, puffing out an exasperated breath through her nose. “I thought we were moving on?” 

“So you don’t disagree?” 

Beca’s eyes shrink menacingly. “I don’t like you very much.” 

“Well, at least the sentiment is reciprocated,” Chloe states. “But I guess we can put our differences aside for Jesse and Aubrey’s sake, right?” 

“Depends, are you going to keep acting like a bitch?” 

Chloe’s nostrils flare a little. “Are _you_ going to keep acting like a pompous jackass?” 

“What exactly did I say that was pompous??” 

Chloe rolls her eyes, her chair screeching against the floor as she pushes it back. “I’m gonna go get myself a drink.” 

“You do that,” Beca mutters, grabbing her phone as soon as Chloe’s back is turned and opening her text conversation with Jesse. Her fingers tap the keys aggressively as she types out her message. 

**Beca [2:13pm]**

_Dude. You owe me BIG time._

“So,” Chloe announces as she sits back down, taking a sip from her hot chocolate then reaching into her back and producing a yellow binder that says _“Operation Bachelorette Party”_ in bright, colorful letters. 

_Yikes._

Beca lifts her mug to her mouth and takes a sip to keep from making a teasing comment. “What are you thinking activity-wise?” 

“Before we talk about that, we need to agree on a budget, send Save-The-Date emails to the guests, pick a destination…” Chloe begins to list. “I made a color-coded google doc, I can send it to your email address and—” Cutting herself off when she catches Beca’s amused expression, Chloe narrows her eyes. “What?” 

“Nothing,” Beca claims, smirking. “I just get why you’re friends with Aubrey.” 

“What is that supposed to mean?” 

“You know… bossy, stuck-up, a pain in my ass.” She stares right back into Chloe’s icy blues as she speaks. “Anyway. Don’t worry about the budget, I’ve got that covered.” 

“And _there’s_ the self-importance I was talking about earlier.” 

“What, you want me to _apologize_ for being successful?” 

Chloe’s eyes roll. “Whatever, let’s just move on.” She takes her pen and scribbles something in a chart. “What’s your maximum amount?” 

“I don’t know, 50k?” Chloe freezes, glancing up. “What?” 

“50k?” She echoes, eyebrows shooting up to her hair. “For a bachelorette party?” 

Beca’s nose scrunches up. “Is that too much?” 

Chloe barks out a laugh, shaking her head. “You’re something else.” 

“I’m pretty sure you don’t mean that as a compliment, but I’ll take it as one anyway.” 

Chloe purses her lips and shrugs as she glances back down to her binder. “You do you.” 

Over the next hour, they surprisingly manage to keep their bickering to an acceptable minimum and are actually pretty productive as they go over the first bullet points in Chloe’s list. 

“Oooh, this one’s pretty cool,” Chloe says as she angles her computer screen towards Beca. They’ve been looking for a venue to rent out for the party which will take place a week prior to the wedding and last two days. “It’s 70 miles north of the city,” she reads off the website description. “Should we go check it out next weekend?” 

Beca smirks, her eyes flickering from the screen to Chloe’s. “You think we’re capable of being stuck in the same car for over an hour without killing each other?” 

“Should be fine. We don’t have to talk.” 

*

The following Saturday, Beca finds herself driving to Chloe’s place to pick her up so they can drive north to the luxurious BnB they found online. She parks her sedan in front of the redhead’s building and shoots her a text to let her know she’s here. Chloe appears less than a couple of minutes later, sliding into the passenger seat. 

“Hey,” Beca greets with a nod. 

“Hey yourself,” Chloe replies, reaching for her seatbelt and buckling in. “Try not to crash into anyone, yeah?” 

“You’re not on the road, so it should be pretty easy,” Beca quips back without missing a beat, unfortunately missing Chloe’s reaction as she’s too busy checking her side mirror before pulling out of her spot. She punches the radio knob, the music soon carrying through her built-in speakers and filling the tense silence. 

Most of the ride is smooth as they both mind their own business, Chloe scrolling through her phone and asking Beca something bachelorette related once in a while. 

“I’ll text the owner we’re ten minutes away,” Chloe says as Beca exits the highway. 

“Cool,” Beca replies, reaching out to increase the radio volume as the familiar notes of a song she likes reach her ears. 

She nearly swerves (thank _god_ she doesn’t or she would never hear the end of it) when Chloe starts to quietly sing along to Maren Morris. Her voice is unlike any other Beca’s heard before, and that is saying something. Angelic, almost. The irony of that does not escape Beca, as she thinks Chloe is the farthest thing from an angel. 

She pulls into the gravel driveway a handful of minutes later, killing the engine just as it starts to snow. 

“Welcome ladies,” the owner of the bed and breakfast, a lady in her fifties, greets them at the door. 

“Hello,” Chloe replies, her warm tone and genuine smile so foreign it makes Beca do a double-take. “Thank you for having us, your place looked _amazing_ in the pictures. I can’t wait to see it for real.” 

Beca lets Chloe do most of the talking, as she seems _delighted_ to take the reins. She has to agree that the place is pretty dope, with a heated pool and jacuzzi and enough garden space for the activities they have yet to agree on. 

“What do you think?” Chloe asks about thirty minutes later, once the owner has finished touring them around the property. 

Beca shoves her hands inside her pockets. “You know Aubrey better than I do, but I think it fits her taste.” 

“It definitely does. You think Jesse will like it as well?” 

“Yeah, for sure.” 

They head to the desk to book it for their dates and Beca leaves a deposit to secure it. “Alright, let’s head out.” 

“Uh, Beca…” Chloe drawls out, prompting Beca to look up from the confirmation slip for their booking. 

She follows Chloe’s gaze out the window, where a snowstorm is raging on. “You’ve _got_ to be kidding me. _Seriously?_ ” She opens the front door and steps outside, a groan flitting past her lips. This is not going to stop anytime soon. “I can’t drive in this.” 

A clear of the throat makes them both look over their shoulders. “I do have a vacancy, so you’re welcome to spend the night.” 

Beca mutters a swear under her breath; great. Fucking _marvelous_. 

“Thank you, I guess we’ll take it,” Chloe answers when Beca remains silent. 

She begrudgingly follows Chloe to the desk, her feet dragging a bit more than necessary over the carpet. 

“That will be $130 for the night, breakfast included. Dinner is optional for $40 per person.” 

Awesome. Splurging over $200 to spend her Saturday night with the bane of her existence. 

“We can split,” Chloe says the second Beca whips out her card. 

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” 

“We’re splitting,” Chloe insists, throwing Beca a heated glare as she hands her own card. “I might not make as much as you do, but I do earn a comfortable living.” 

Beca grits her teeth. “I never said otherwise, I was just being polite.” 

Chloe’s eyebrows raise like she’s not impressed. “Right...” 

“You’re a pain in my ass, Beale.” 

Chloe proceeds to kick her shin with the blunt heel of her boot, a nervous sort of laugh puffing free. “It’s just friendly banter,” she tells the owner, who Beca just notices is looking at them with wide eyes. 

“You didn’t have to _kick_ me,” she hisses as they hike up the stairs towards their room. 

“I know,” Chloe replies, smiling in a sickly sort of way. 

She slides the key in the lock and pushes the door open, freezing. 

“You’ve _got_ to be kidding me.”

There is only one bed. 

A spacious one, sure, but _still_. 

“I can take the floor,” Beca suggests once they shuffle inside. 

It’s carpet, shouldn’t be too bad. 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Chloe mutters. “Just… stay on your side.” 

“Oh don’t worry, I’m pretty sure I’ll manage to resist the burning temptation of attacking you with cuddles in the middle of the night,” Beca deadpans, seizing Chloe with a glare. 

“Great,” Chloe chirps with over-the-top, fake enthusiasm. 

_“Great.”_

“I’m gonna take a shower before dinner,” Chloe announces. 

Beca cocks an eyebrow. “And you needed to inform me because…” 

That earns her yet another glare and a huff, and she can’t help but smirk; toying with Chloe’s nerves is actually pretty fun. 

Ever so thankful that she takes her laptop everywhere, Beca heads out to the car to retrieve it. The shower is running by the time she makes it back to their room, and Beca takes off her shoes, flopping down against the pillows. 

She is lost in a mix (she still enjoys making those in her free time) when movement catches her attention. 

Chloe is just coming out of the bathroom after her shower, a simple white towel wrapped around her body. 

Just to be clear, Beca _does_ hate her, but she also has _eyes._ And Chloe, well; she’s really fucking attractive. 

The sight of those long, toned legs makes her mouth dry up as Chloe heads to her side of the bed, and Beca nearly chokes on her tongue when, with her back to her, Chloe drops the towel like it’s the fucking natural thing to do. 

She’s wearing panties, but _still._

Her eyes rove over the defined muscles in Chloe’s back as she bends down to pick up her discarded shirt from the loveseat and pulls it over her head, flickering down to her ass once her back is covered. 

Catching herself, Beca focuses back on her laptop, her cheeks furiously burning. 

Dinner goes fine. 

Beca heads back up around 8:30 and takes a long shower, undressing in the bathroom like a _civilized_ person. The owner thankfully had toothbrushes available for sale, and now that she’s clean and her teeth are brushed, Beca is ready for a good night’s sleep. Chloe is already in bed when she pads back into the room, scrolling on her phone. 

“Can I ask you a question?” She asks as Beca slides in beside her.

“You just did,” Beca quips, smirking as Chloe rolls her eyes. “Yeah, shoot.” 

“Is the Beyoncé bit true? You really work with her?” 

Beca hums. “Yeah, I’m producing two of her songs on her new album.” 

“What’s she like to work with?” 

“A bit of a diva, but _crazy_ talented. Intimidatingly so, actually. I was legit stammering when I first met her.” She grimaces. “It was embarrassing.”

Chloe giggles. “I think I would forget words altogether and just stare.” 

A genuine chuckle flits past Beca’s lips as she eyes Chloe. “So you’re into music?” 

“Yeah. Aubrey and I met in an acapella club in college, actually.” 

“Oh, so you’re a nerd.” 

“How does me singing acapella make me a nerd?” Chloe glares, but there’s a glint in her eye that Beca has never seen before and which tells her she’s not actually upset. 

Beca challenges her with a cocked eyebrow. “What kind of songs did you sing?” 

Chloe purses her lips, eyes fleeting. “Nevermind.” 

“Now I _really_ wanna know,” Beca presses, her tone teasing. “Is it on YouTube?” 

Chloe’s pout is the only answer she needs, and Beca reaches for her phone off the bedside table. 

“Don’t,” Chloe whines, sighing heavily. 

“I remember Aubrey telling me she went to Barden.” Huh, so she _was_ listening the last time they had dinner. Beca types _acapella_ and _barden_ in the search bar, clicking on the first video featuring girls. “The Bellas…” 

Chloe has crossed her arms over her chest, eyebrows knitted together. 

“Nice outfit,” Beca deadpans, quickly glancing at Chloe to see her roll her eyes. “Well, _whaddayaknow_ , Aubrey looks even more uptight on here. Didn’t think that was possible.” 

Chloe hits her arm with the back of her hand, giggling again. “Be nice.” 

She makes it to the intro of _The Sign_ before she bursts out laughing. The uncontrollable, belly shaking, tears leaking kind of laughter. “This is _gold_.” 

“Shut up,” Chloe says, though she can’t seem to help laughing a little, too. 

“Can we _please_ show this at the wedding?” Beca asks. 

“As long as we don’t show the one where Aubrey pukes.” 

Beca’s jaw drops and her eyes light up. “There’s one where she _pukes?!_ ” 

“Ugh,” Chloe groans, covering her face with her hands. “I’m gonna stop talking now.” She turns on her side, tugging the covers tighter around her. “Goodnight.” 

Sort of disappointed the conversation got cut short, Beca sets her phone down and reaches out to flick the light off. “Goodnight.” 

As she lies there waiting for sleep to come, Beca thinks that Chloe maybe isn’t so bad, after all. 

(spoiler alert: it won’t last long.)

*

“I can’t do it anymore, Stace, she’s driving me _insane_.”

Two months have passed. Chloe went back to her annoying self that very morning at the Bed and Breakfast, starting by waking Beca at ass o’clock so they could hit the road because she didn’t want to miss her yoga class. 

_“What did she do now?”_

“She’s just… annoying! She undermines every single one of my ideas and bosses me around and she’s just— _infuriating_ with her perfect little binder and her perfect smile and— _ugh!_ ” 

_“Sounds like there’s a lot of sexual tension going on there.”_

“What?” Beca nearly squeaks, a maniac sort of chuckle bursting out of her. “No, there’s not.” 

_“You talk about her every time we’re on the phone, you guys bicker nonstop and let’s face it, she’s hot.”_

Beca pauses. “How do you know she’s hot?”

_“Okay one, you’ve just confirmed you thought so, so I’m pretty sure I’m right, and two, I checked out her Instagram.”_

“You Instagram stalked her??”

She can nearly _hear_ Stacie rolling her eyes. _“Please, like you didn’t do the same. So yeah, maybe hot, aggressive sex could defuse the tension, you know?”_

Beca grumbles. “I’d rather shoot myself in the foot than have sex with her.”

_“Mhm. Sure.”_

A knock at the door makes Beca groan. “Gotta go, Satan just got here.”

 _“Use protection!”_ Stacie sing-songs right before Beca hangs up. 

Pushing to her feet, Beca thinks back on Stacie’s words and inwardly rolls her eyes. 

_Ridiculous._

She heads to the door and pulls it open, her jaw falling slack as she takes in Chloe’s outfit. 

A tight red dress with a plunging cleavage that perfectly hugs her forms, paired with taupe pumps. 

“Wow.” Beca blinks twice in slow succession, berating herself for saying that the second her brain reboots. _Fuck_ , maybe Stacie is right; she might be attracted to her nemesis. She clears her throat, pushing those thoughts away. “I mean— why are you dressed like this?”

“Not that it’s any of your business,” Chloe states defiantly as she breezes past her. “But I have a date.”

“A date, huh?” Beca smirks, turning around to face her after closing her door. “Who’s the poor guy?”

“Again, none of your business,” Chloe dismisses quickly. “Let’s just get this done so I’m not late.”

Beca gives her a mock-salute, fighting an exasperated eye-roll. “Yes, ma’am.” 

She leads Chloe into the kitchen, perching herself on one of the stools. They’ve been meeting every week to review their progress on the tasks they were responsible for. “I really don’t get why we can’t do this over the phone.”

“Because you’d miss me,” Chloe claims with a sickly sweet smile as she pulls her magic binder out of her bag. “So, music. The band we were thinking about is already booked.” 

“Oh right, about that, I actually found someone.” 

Chloe looks up. “You did?” 

“I got us Ed Sheeran.” 

To say Beca is proud of that accomplishment is an understatement; she has pulled a lot of strings to get the multiple awards artist to agree to perform at such a small party. 

Chloe’s reaction feels like an ice-water bucket being tipped over her head. 

“What?” 

Beca blinks. “Ed Sheeran. Y’know, ginger, British? Sings really fucking cheesy songs and is great at it?” 

“I haven’t been living under a rock, I know who Ed Sheeran is,” Chloe says, then shakes her head. “He can’t play.” 

Confusion creases onto Beca’s face. “What, why not?” 

“Aubrey went through a really bad break-up before meeting Jesse and she basically listened to Sheeran non-stop. She _hates_ his music now, which you would have known if you’d consulted with me _first_.” 

“Oh, my _God_ ,” Beca breathes, her nostrils flaring in rapidly intensifying anger as she pushes to her feet. She needs to walk away before she’s tempted to become physically violent. “I am _so_ sick of this.” 

Chloe stands and gathers the sheets of paper she’d taken out, shoving them back into her binder. “That makes two of us.” 

Beca whirls around, a humorless laugh bursting free. “Are you serious?? You’ve been a pain in my ass since day _one!_ My ideas are never good enough for your precious bachelorette party and I’ve busted my _ass_ to get a Grammy-winning artist there, but _noooo_ , of course, Princess Chloe has something to say about that!” 

“And _you’ve_ been playing it personally since day one,” Chloe shouts back, taking a few steps closer. “Flaunting your money around and making me feel like anything I do is going to be overlooked because it’s thanks to you that we’ve got such an incredible venue or an A-lister to perform!” 

“Enough about the money!” Beca nearly yells, following Chloe as she stalks to the front door. “I can’t _wait_ for this wedding to be through so I don’t have to see that fucking condescending eye-roll ever again!” 

Chloe spins on her heels as she makes it to the door, flashing her a heated glare. “Well, lucky for you, the wedding is only six weeks away!” 

“Good!” 

_“Good!”_

Beca can’t really explain what goes through her head right this second; the sight of Chloe, red in the face with her chest heaving up and down as she catches her breath and those ablaze blues burning right through her… it feels like her brain short-circuits. 

She has never felt more aroused. 

Her feet are moving before her brain has completely formulated the request, crushing the short distance between them to crash her lips onto Chloe’s in a hard, teeth-knocking kiss. 

Without a beat, Chloe gives as good as she gets, kissing Beca back with equal fervor. Her hand tangles in Beca’s brunette locks and tugs lightly while Beca’s finds purchase on her waist, pushing her against the wall. She slips her tongue inside Chloe’s mouth, swallowing that head-spinning sound Chloe makes, and presses her body flush against Chloe’s. 

It’s hot and aggressive, as they both battle for dominance. 

A low groan surfaces her throat when Chloe spins them around, Beca’s back meeting the door with a thud. Breaking apart to suck some air into her deprived lungs, Beca watches as Chloe undoes the buttons on her shirt, eyes darkened with lust. 

“What about your date?” She finds herself asking, still not quite believing this is happening. 

(remind her to thank Stacie later.) 

“Who said anything about a date?” Chloe questions, her lips curling into a smirk as she undoes Beca’s belt and pops the button open with incredible deftness. 

Beca blinks as it dawns on her sluggish brain that there was never a date; Chloe dressed like that for _her._

Holy shit, she’d have to unpack that later, when you know, Chloe’s hand is no longer inside her pants. 

“You’re so wet,” Chloe whispers against the shell of her ear, her tongue darting out to lick it as her fingers push Beca’s underwear aside and meet hot, soaked skin. 

Beca’s hips buck against Chloe’s fingers on their own command and her head falls back against the door as those same fingers roll over her clit in the next pass. “ _S_ _hit._ ” 

“Open your eyes,” Chloe demands in a voice that makes Beca quiver with want. 

Beca does so, a choked moan spilling out as Chloe parts her folds, inching inside about halfway and sliding out, going back to her clit. Her ministrations send jolts of electricity sparking up Beca’s spine, and she seizes Chloe’s biceps to anchor herself, nails digging into smooth skin. 

Chloe growls, catching Beca’s lips in a bruising kiss as two fingers plunge inside, twisting and curling and making Beca’s back arch off the surface of the door in a desperate chase for more. 

Chloe’s lips leave hers, heading south and trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down the side of Beca’s neck. She attaches them to her pulse point, nibbling and sucking the sensitive patch of skin. 

“ _Fuck_ , Chlo,” Beca croaks out, her hand fisting into Chloe’s gorgeous red locks and tugging, eliciting a groan from Chloe that vibrates against her skin. She can feel the coil in her stomach wind tighter and tighter with each thrust, the band ready to snap. 

When it does, a cry that sounds almost foreign in rawness and intensity rips itself from her vocal cords as her orgasm crashes into her like a freight train, leaving her a trembling mess. 

Chloe’s fingers slip out but keep stroking her gently, Chloe’s forehead resting against hers as Beca tries to catch her breath. Beca watches with half-lidded eyes as she pulls her hand out and lifts it to her mouth, keeping her gaze locked on Beca while she sucks her fingers clean. 

“Jesus,” Beca rasps, unable to blink away from the hottest thing she has ever witnessed. 

Chloe releases her fingers with a pop, and Beca _knows_ what she’s going to say before the words even reach Chloe’s tongue. “It’s Chloe, actually.” 

Beca rolls her eyes and switches their position. “Shut up.” 

She fuses their lips back together, the hand by her side running up Chloe’s thigh and tugging the material of her dress up. Nibbling on Chloe’s bottom lip as she pulls away, Beca lowers herself to her knees, handing Chloe her bunched dress to hold as she takes one of her legs and props it over her shoulder. 

A moan makes its way out of her mouth when she realizes Chloe isn’t wearing anything underneath. She glances up, finding Chloe’s eyes and not letting them go as she licks her in a broad lap, then parts her folds in an exploratory lick, releasing another sound of arousal at the taste of her sweetness coats her tongue. 

“Stop teasing,” Chloe growls, but there’s an edge of desperation to her tone that makes Beca’s chest swell with satisfaction. 

“Stop bossing me around,” Beca fires back, even though she does as she is told, and starts to fuck Chloe with her tongue, relying on Chloe’s vocal cues for speed and pressure. Another spike of lust hits her as Chloe’s hand pushes her head closer, wordlessly asking for more. 

Beca can only oblige, and she switches her tongue with her fingers when she feels Chloe near her climax, wrapping her lips around her swollen clit instead. 

“ _Fuck, fuck, fuck,_ ” Chloe chants, her fingers tightening on Beca’s hair as she cries out a handful of seconds later. She releases a sigh as she comes down, Beca licking her clean before she pushes to her feet. “Not bad.” 

Beca raises an eyebrow. “Not _bad?_ ” She _knows_ she’s good in bed. “ _Please._ ” 

“I like this cocky side of yours.” 

Beca’s eyes narrow. “You’ve called me a pompous jackass more times than I can count, and now you’re telling me you _like_ it?” 

“Not the same thing.” She drags her teeth over her bottom lip. Beca is completely hypnotized. “Are we just gonna stand there or continue this in the bedroom?”

Okay, maybe she _does_ sort of like it when Chloe bosses her around. 

*

Their new dynamic is a game-changer. After that night, they regularly fuck, and it makes planning the bachelorette party a lot more bearable. 

Don’t get Beca wrong; there’s still a lot of bickering going on, but only for the sake of riling each other up it seems, as Beca quickly finds out that, the angrier they are, the better the sex is.

And Chloe? Yeah, she’s a beast in bed, and it’s by far the best sex Beca has ever had.

(not that she would _ever_ admit that out loud.)

And before you ask, yes, it’s _just_ sex. Beca still very much hates Chloe and she believes that is still very much reciprocated. 

“Good news,” Chloe announces as she breezes past Beca without so much as a hello. Beca’s eyes flicker down to her perfect ass as she walks towards the kitchen, looking tight in those jeans. Chloe definitely knows Beca is watching judging from that strutting action. “All of Aubrey’s friends have confirmed, so the total on her side is thirteen.” 

Beca scrunches up her nose. “You mean I’ll be stuck with thirteen stuck-up nerds for 48 hours?” 

Thank _God_ for booze. 

As with pretty much every single one of her snarky comments, Chloe ignores it and situates herself at the kitchen island. “Do you have a final count for Jesse?” 

“Yep, ten of his friends are attending,” Beca replies as she sits across from her. 

They go over the list of games and other forms of entertainment (it’s decided that instead of having someone to perform, Beca will DJ) planned for the weekend, as well as review the schedule. 

All boring stuff, to be honest, especially when all Beca can think about is how hot Chloe looks in those jeans. 

“Is that it for today?” Beca asks as Chloe tucks the schedule away. “Can we have sex now?” 

A delicate eyebrow lifts. “Desperate, are we?” 

“You’re the one who seduced me that first night,” Beca points out, smirking. “You _dressed_ for me. If that’s not desperate, I don’t know what is.” 

The fact that Chloe doesn’t have anything to reply to that makes Beca grin. “Sadly, we still have to make the shopping list, so keep it in your pants for a little longer, ‘K?” 

Chloe drags it on far more than necessary; it is clear she enjoys making Beca squirm, but that’s alright, Beca will find a way to retaliate. 

“ _Fuck,_ why did you stop?” Chloe hisses, her eyes flying open as she stares down the length of her body to meet Beca’s. 

It’s much later, and she’s laying on the edge of Beca’s bed sans pants, legs spread as Beca eats her out. 

Beca stopped the second she felt Chloe nearing her orgasm, triggering that reaction. “Shit, I forgot I had an important phone call to make.” 

She doesn’t, but she gets a kick out of pushing Chloe’s buttons. 

That earns her a murderous glare. “Don’t you _dare._ ” 

Beca winks, nipping Chloe’s inner thigh before pushing to her feet. “I’ll be quick.” 

“I might finish without you!” Chloe calls out as Beca jogs out of her bedroom. 

“You know it won’t be as good!” Beca quips back, the groan carrying through from the bedroom making her cackle devilishly. 

“I don’t like you,” Chloe mutters when Beca comes back after playing a round of Candy Crush on her phone. 

Beca smirks. “I think you do.” She drops back to her knees, licking her lips. “Now, where were we?” 

*

Winter eventually thaws to spring. 

She and Chloe continue their… thing, whatever it should be called —enemies with benefits?— which seems to be happening more and more often. Not that Beca is complaining; sex on a regular basis is pretty awesome.

Beca wakes up one morning to singing coming from the kitchen. She blinks against the sunlight filtering through the gap in the blinds, her eyes as bleary as her brain feels. As she props herself on her elbows and catches the trail of clothing leading to the living-room, memories of last night slowly come back to her. 

They stayed up until one am to finish up last-minute projects for the bachelorette party next weekend and ended up having sex afterwards, which isn’t out of the ordinary. 

Only, Chloe has never spent the night before. She usually sneaks out after they’re done boning. Beca can’t help but wonder what _that_ means, as she slides out from beneath her silk sheets and pads to her bedroom door to unhook her robe, shrugging it on. 

Her bare feet carry her across her living room hardwood floors, slowing to a stop as she rounds the kitchen corner. 

Chloe is in the middle of belting out _Go Your Own Way_ , using the spatula in her hand as a pretend microphone while she stands by the stove, presumably cooking breakfast. 

Beca crosses her arms over her chest as she leans against the doorframe, a lopsided smile spreading. For the first time since they met, she finds herself really observing Chloe, without her rage or lust-colored glasses altering her opinion, and she’s taken aback by how beautiful she thinks Chloe looks right now, make-up free and hair mussed with sex and sleep, wearing Beca’s wrinkled plaid shirt and nothing else as she goofs around in Beca’s kitchen. 

Something weird goes off in her chest, something Beca can’t really interpret, at least not yet. She pushes it aside with a quick shake of her head, snapping out of her daze. 

“Morning.” 

Chloe freezes, then spins around, eyes wide and red rushing to meet her cheeks like she’s been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “How long have you been standing there?” 

“Long enough to have proof that you are indeed the biggest nerd on the planet,” Beca comments with a smirk as she pushes off the door frame and makes her way to her Keurig, popping a capsule in and reaching for her mug in the cupboard over her head. “I guess your taste in music isn’t so bad, though.” 

“My, my, did Beca Mitchell just compliment me?” 

“I guess I’m in a really good mood this morning. Don’t get used to it,” she says as she presses the right button, watching the coffee drip down into her cup. “Couldn’t find your clothes?” 

“Your shirt was the closest thing to my side of the bed.” 

“Mhm.” Beca turns around, leaning against the counter as she cradles her cup. Part of her wants to know why Chloe decided to spend the night, but she ultimately decides against finding out. Against all odds, she kinda likes this, having Chloe around, and she feels like asking might ruin the moment. “You better not steal it, it’s my favorite.” 

“I’m pretty sure you’re gonna find a way to take it off me before I leave,” Chloe says, her smugness evident in her tone.

Beca hums, her eyes sweeping over Chloe’s gorgeous legs. “I can’t contradict you there.” 

Chloe looks surprised as she looks over her shoulder. “That’s a first. Compliments, _agreeing_ with me?” After turning off the stove, she steps up to Beca, laying the back of her hand on her forehead gently. “Are you feeling feverish?” 

“Fuck you,” Beca mutters with a glare, though she can’t help but smile a little. 

Chloe smirks. “Ah, there you are. I was worried for a sec.” 

Beca scrunches up her nose. “Why are you still _here_ _?_ ” She whines. “Saturday nights aren’t enough, you’ve gotta ruin my Sunday mornings now, too?” 

It’s meant in a teasing way, so she doesn’t expect Chloe to answer it seriously.

Chloe shrugs. “Your sheets are comfy.” She leans closer like she’s going to kiss Beca. “And judging from the sounds you were making last night, I don’t think _ruining_ is the right term, _babe._ ” 

Beca’s stomach flip-flops at the term of endearment, but she doesn’t have time to ponder on that as Chloe pulls away before Beca can close the gap between them, a wicked glint flashing in her eyes. 

Beca’s eyes stick to Chloe like magnets as she slowly struts away towards the bedroom, and she fights against the temptation to follow and give Chloe exactly what she wants. 

That resolve shatters when Chloe loses the shirt, wearing nothing underneath. 

Nevermind. She guesses she could get used to those Sunday mornings, too. 

*

The joint bachelorette kicks off that next Friday night with dinner at a fancy restaurant upstate, close to their Bed and Breakfast location. They rented a mini-bus so they could indulge in a few drinks, and Beca is grateful for that because she needs some alcohol to take the edge off, as she’s always been awkward about socializing with people she’s never met before.

She’s not going to lie; she was dreading spending so much time around Aubrey’s friends, chalking them up to be annoying and stuck up like the blonde, but they turn out to be actually pretty fun. Amy, the Australian girl, entertains Beca with wild stories from the bush and boat explosions and her wedding to a Qatari prince. Beca can’t tell what’s fake and what’s true, but she gets a good laugh out of it regardless. 

She also hits it off with her other table neighbor, a girl named Cynthia-Rose, who also happens to work in the music business. 

By the time her second old-fashioned hits, however, Beca starts having trouble focusing on the conversation. Her attention keeps getting stolen by Chloe’s laughter as she sits three seats down and across the table from Beca, animatedly flirting with one of Jesse’s friends. She has no right to be jealous, she knows that, but she can’t exactly control it. 

A definite shift occurred since that last weekend at her place and it slowly dawns on Beca how much trouble she has gotten herself into. 

It feels like Chloe is everywhere on her. In her head, under her skin. Her bed smells like her now, just that bit of mango and… coconut. Or something like that. She can taste her on her tongue, feel her touch on her skin, and she wants more of her. 

Beca is in a green mood by the end of the meal, but manages to hide it for Jesse and Aubrey’s sake because tonight is not about her. She politely declines a midnight cap when they get back to the Bed and Breakfast, claiming she is ready to call it a night. 

She heads upstairs and pulls out her songwriting notebook, figuring she might as well make the most of those… those _emotions_ by turning them into lyrics. A knock at the door ten minutes later cuts through Beca’s train of thought. She stands up from the bed and walks over, a look of surprise crossing her features when she sees Chloe is the one standing on the other side. 

“What are you doing here?” She asks, her tone a tiny bit clipped. “Boy toy didn’t work out?” 

Chloe smirks, inviting herself in. “You’re cute when you’re jealous.” 

“I’m not—” Beca exhales through her nose, gritting her teeth. She closes the door and leans against it. “ _Fine._ Maybe I’m a little bit jealous.” 

“Well...” Chloe murmurs, stepping closer and smoothing the lapel of Beca’s suit jacket. “He really didn’t stand a chance, if that’s any comfort. Not with you wearing that suit.” 

Beca’s hands come to rest on Chloe’s hips, tugging her closer until they’re pressed flush against each other. She slides her nose against hers, desire burning in the pit of her belly. “So it’s the suit, huh?” 

Chloe hums, her words skating across Beca’s lips. “Among other things.” 

Beca wants to know what those other things are, but not right now, not when she feels like she might burst if she doesn’t take Chloe this very second. 

She is aware it’s a dangerous game she’s playing, but she has no self-control whatsoever when it comes to Chloe Beale.

*

The following day is an absolute blast. After brunch, they kick off the Olympics, where Team Bride takes on Team Groom in a game of dodgeball, relay races, eating contests, and of course, drinking games. 

Team Bride wins by two points and following the medal ceremony (Beca originally thought that was stupid, but she’s glad Chloe insisted because it turns out to be pretty cool), Jesse and Aubrey do the Newlyweds game, getting a prank for every wrong answer and a kinky gift for the ones they do get right. 

By the time the 90’s theme party starts, Beca is pretty buzzed. She stations herself behind her mixing board and slides her headphones on, leaving one ear uncovered as her first track carries through the speakers, drawing cheers from the inebriated group as they start to dance to the beat under the flickering lights of the mirror ball Chloe insisted on setting up. 

She soon loses herself in her mixing, her focus momentarily drifting to Chloe’s antics as she teaches everyone a glow stick dancing routine like they’re a group of kindergartners. 

(yes, she finds it adorable.) 

Halfway through the night, she queues up enough songs to take a break for some fresh air. She heads outside, a smile spreading on her lips on its own accord when she sees Chloe sat at the edge of the heated pool on her own, her legs threading through the water as she stares up at the night sky. 

“What are you doing out here by yourself, you weirdo?” Beca calls out gently as to not startle Chloe, who looks deep in her thoughts. 

“I’m having a moment,” Chloe murmurs, and Beca can tell by the look in her eyes that she’s drunk. She pats the space next to her. “Sit.”

Beca toes off her sneakers and settles down on the tile, rolling her jeans so she can dip her legs in the water as well. 

“I love living in New York, but I miss the stars, sometimes,” she says, prompting Beca to glance up at the gorgeous starry-sky above them. “When I was a kid in Oregon, my dad and I would take those camping trips every weekend during the summer and would stargaze for hours.”

Beca smiles fondly. “That sounds really nice.” 

“It was.” Chloe clears her throat, glancing at Beca. “We really nailed it, huh? Everyone’s having a blast.”

“Yeah, we did.” She looks down to Chloe’s extended fist, chuckling. “Are you the kind of person who blows it up like a bomb afterwards? Cause I can’t stand that.”

Chloe tsks impatiently. “Just give it to me, Mitchell.”

Rolling her eyes, Beca caves and gives her a fist bump. Chloe splays out her fingers and makes an exploding bomb sort of sound effect, just like Beca predicted. “Nerd.”

Comfortable silence fills the space between them for a little while after that. 

“I should apologize, huh?” Chloe blurts out.

Beca eyes her with a smirk. “For smashing my car?” 

Chloe giggles and Beca laughs. That whole ordeal seems awfully far and almost silly, now. “ _No._ For being a bitch.”

Beca shrugs. “It’s all good, I was a jackass, so…” 

“Truce?” 

A chuckle puffs past Beca’s lips. “Truce.” 

Chloe hums. “I’m _drunk_.” Her eyes slide shut for a few beats. “And sleepy.”

“Come on, I’ll take you up to your room,” Beca offers, helping Chloe up when she nods in agreement. She winds an arm around Chloe’s waist just in case as they hike up the stairs, stopping in front of Chloe’s room door. “Do you have your key card, Chlo?”

Chloe’s forehead creases adorably as she thinks. “No.”

Beca huffs a chuckle. “Okay, come on.” She slides her hand inside Chloe’s and tugs her down the hall to her room, fishing her key card out of her back pocket and swiping it into the reader. 

“You need help with your dress?” Beca asks as Chloe takes off her heels. 

“Just the zipper,” she mumbles, turning around so Beca can work it down for her. The dress pools to her feet and Chloe steps out of it, heading to the bathroom in her bra and underwear. 

Puffing out a breath, Beca moves to her suitcase and picks out a shirt and shorts, peeling her jeans off her legs. 

“You alright, drunky?” She asks in amusement as Chloe flops down on the bed face first. 

The only reply she gets is a muffled groan, and she chuckles, tugging the covers from under Chloe and tucking them up to her shoulders so she doesn’t get cold during the night. 

She settles on her back on the other side, her breath hitching in her throat when Chloe instantly cuddles into her side, draping an arm around Beca’s middle and resting her head on her shoulder. 

“Don’t barf on me, okay?”

But Chloe is already dead to the world, snoring softly. Beca brushes a kiss to her forehead and releases a sigh, closing her eyes in turn. 

*

They head back into the city the following afternoon, after a morning spent at the spa and a late lunch. Beca had driven them up that Friday afternoon as it was ridiculous for her and Chloe to take both their cars when they basically live in the same area. The drive back is much more chill (Chloe was stressed out about the party on the way there and _news flash:_ it drove Beca crazy), except for the fact that Chloe keeps fiddling with the radio every thirty seconds. 

“Stop it,” Beca mutters, blindly slapping Chloe’s hand away. “You’re worse than a freaking child.”

“Those songs are crap.” 

“I’ve got downloaded Spotify playlists on my phone if you wanna listen to that instead.” She reaches into her console compartment and pulls it out, unlocking it with her thumbprint before handing it over. 

“Your taste in music isn’t so bad either,” Chloe observes as she scrolls through the options, settling for Hozier. 

Beca chuckles. “Thanks.” 

Chloe spends the rest of the drive singing along to Beca’s playlist, and Beca thinks her voice might be her new favorite sound in the world. She’s sort of bummed out when she pulls up to Chloe’s building, but it doesn’t last long. 

Chloe unbuckles herself. “You wanna come up?” 

She has an early flight to LA early tomorrow morning and should go home to pack, but she can’t say no. So she nods, Chloe’s warm smile and the sparkle in her eye making her belly flutter. 

She’s never seen Chloe’s place before; it’s bright and cozy, all wooden floors and furniture with pops of colors here and there. Beca instantly feels at home. 

They order dinner in, and Beca takes Chloe up on her shower offer while they wait for it to be delivered. They drink beer and eat pizza as they talk about nothing and everything, the kind of talk that drags on for hours without either of them realizing it.

“Birds? Seriously? You’re afraid of _birds?_ ” 

“Stop laughing,” Chloe whines, swatting Beca’s thigh with the back of her hand. “I was like four or something, and my grandma took me to the park. I was feeding the ducks and… eventually ran out of bread.” 

“Uh oh.” 

“They _swarmed_ me and kept quacking at me, it was terrifying!” 

The kind of talk where they just… crack themselves open. 

“Why did your dad leave?” 

Beca shrugs, releasing a sigh. “He said he wasn’t happy anymore. That he loved someone else. I was eleven, and I definitely wasn’t supposed to overhear their fight but, yeah…” 

“What did your mom say?” 

“That we would be fine without him, that she and I were a team, and we would always be there for each other. And it was true, she was my best friend.” Beca casts her gaze downwards, focusing on the pattern she’s tracing over Chloe’s thigh as Chloe sits sideways with her legs draped over Beca’s. “She died a few years later and I had to move in with my dad and the step-monster.” 

Chloe’s fingers seek out hers, stroking them gently. 

Beca smiles and squeezes, grateful for the wordless comfort. “Most surprising thing about you, now.” 

“I can rap,” Chloe states with a cocky grin. 

Beca’s eyebrows shoot up _._ “I’m gonna need proof.” 

“Very well.” Chloe straightens a bit, clearing her throat before promptly launching into Coolio’s _Gangster’s Paradise_ , complete with head bobbing and hand gestures. 

Beca has got the biggest grin on her face by the time Chloe finishes, and if she were a cartoon character, she’s pretty sure hearts would be coming out of her eyes. “I’ll give it a 7/10 for outstanding adorableness.” 

They eventually doze off right there on the couch, limbs intertwined. Beca wakes up a few hours later to her alarm and untangles herself from Chloe, leaving her a note on the coffee table. 

_Hey you,_

_I had to go home and pack since I’m flying out to LA for a week in a few hours. I’ll see you at the wedding._

_Beca x_

*

Beca’s week in LA turns out to be crazy hectic, which isn’t terrible; her mind is too busy to wander to Chloe and what this all _means_ once they’re through with the wedding. 

Her flight is of course delayed the day of the wedding, and she’ll be cutting it really close if she swings by her place, so she calls her assistant to have a car ready at the airport with her suit and make-up bag so she can head straight to the venue. 

She makes it there after all the guests are already seated and just as the bridesmaids are getting ready to go down the aisle. 

Beca sweeps in at the last second, stepping up to the dude about to offer his arm to Chloe. “Sorry, Jason.” Or is it Jake? Beca can’t remember. It doesn’t matter. “Thanks, I’ll take it from here.” 

She offers her elbow to Chloe, who lets out a giggle as she takes it. “Nice of you to show up.” 

Beca casts her a playful glare. “Hush.”

She squeezes Chloe’s fingers before they go their separate ways, shooting her a wink on her way to stand by Jesse. 

As much as Beca had doubts about this wedding because of how quick it was, it gets pretty clear during the vows how deeply Aubrey and Jesse love one another, and how they’re meant for each other. 

(she might even cry a little, but shh.) 

Group photos follow the ceremony before the wedding party joins the rest of the guests into the reception room while Aubrey and Jesse get their private photoshoot. 

Beca heads backstage to take care of something and is about to find Chloe on her way out, only to be stopped by Jesse’s annoying grandparents (sweet, but _annoying_ ) who talk her ear off for the next ten minutes. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the dance floor, Mr. and Mrs. Swanson!” 

Beca hurries to the side of the dance floor as the crowd gathers in a circle to welcome them, 

a fond smile spreading across her features as she watches the newlywed couple walk in. She knew they wanted their first dance to be to _Conversions in the Dark_ by John Legend and since her pal happened to be in NYC this month, Beca called him up. 

Aubrey gasps when the multi-award winner walks onto the stage and sits at the piano to perform the song, instead of a recorded version she thought she was getting. The crowd laughs as it takes her a few beats to focus back on her husband as they start swaying across the dance floor. 

_“Talk_

_Let's have conversations in the dark_

_World is sleeping, I'm awake with you…”_

Beca’s eyes find Chloe’s during those specific lyrics which bring her back to that night, and she smiles a little, sheepishly shrugging her shoulders. 

John surprises everyone by singing two more songs, then slips out, but not before posing for a picture with Aubrey and Jesse and wishing them the best. The guests take their seats, Beca sitting on Jesse’s left while Chloe sits on Aubrey’s right at the long table. 

Somewhere during the middle of the meal, Chloe knocks her knife against the side of her glass a few times, the chatter dying down as she stands up. 

“For those who don’t know me, my name is Chloe, and I’m Aubrey’s best friend. I met Aubrey in college when we both decided to join this acapella group. Neither of us knew it would change our lives for the better and give us the most incredible extended family: our Bellas,” she pauses to look at the rest of the bridesmaids, her hand resting over her heart.

“Aubrey quickly became the sister I never had, and we’ve been by each other’s side through everything since then.” Chloe’s gaze flickers down to Aubrey. “Victories and defeats, joys and heartbreaks, and it’s with a full heart today that I watched you say forever to an incredible man.” Clearing her throat when it gets clogged with emotions, Chloe focuses back on the crowd. “I don’t know if you’ve heard it, but the start of their love story is straight out of a rom-com, guys. One chilly December morning a year and a half ago, Jesse’s best friend and best woman currently sitting to his left, crashed into my car.” 

Beca’s jaw drops as Jesse and Aubrey chuckle, followed by the rest of the guests. Chloe is just smirking at her with satisfaction, as she often does. 

“And while Beca and I were busy shouting profanities at each other, two cherubs appeared over Jesse and Aubrey’s heads and started to sing.” She turns back to the couple of the day, beaming. “The rest, as we say, is history, and I am so glad to be standing here today and wish you both a _lifetime_ of happiness.” 

Aubrey pushes to her feet to pull Chloe into a lingering hug while the rest of the guests (Beca included, despite that _wrongful_ accusation) applaud. 

She takes her glass and stands up next. 

“Uh, hello everyone,” she starts, smiling awkwardly. Speeches have never been her thing, be it in front of thousands at the Grammys or a couple hundred at her best friend’s wedding. “I’m Beca. I was told you’re not supposed to curse at weddings, so I apologize in advance because that’s my default setting.” 

Beca clears her throat, briefly glancing down at her plate. 

“As I was preparing for this, all I could think about was: holy _shit_ my best friend is getting married in thirty minutes,” she gives a comedic pause, her nerves loosening as the crowd laughs. “I met Jesse when we were both losers in high-school and never managed to shake him off since. Believe me when I tell you I’ve tried countless times. Jesse is… the biggest nerd I know. He knows every line of the Star Wars movies and The Breakfast Club. His goofiness is borderline tolerable, and don’t get me started on how annoyingly kind he is to complete strangers. I’m _thrilled_ he finally found his person so he’s not hanging out at my house every night whining about being single like he used to before he met Aubrey.” She softens a beat later as the laughter dies down, turning to look at Jesse. “But in all seriousness, I love the heck out of you dude, and I’m so happy for you both.” 

Jesse is smothering her into a hug before she can blink, and she pats his back awkwardly. “Love you, Becaw.” 

“Oh!” Beca exclaims when he releases her, turning back to the crowd. “Jury’s still out on whose fault it was on that fender bender, by the way!” 

More laughter echoes throughout the room as Beca casts Chloe a smirk in turn. 

After dinner and cake cutting, most of the guests head out to the dance floor, Beca watching Aubrey and Jesse goof around with a fond smile. 

“Wanna dance?” 

Beca glances over her shoulder to find Chloe standing there with a hopeful sort of smile. She nods and lets Chloe take her hand and lead her to the middle of the room.

“So,” Beca starts as they sway on the dance floor to the slow song playing. Her hands come to rest on Chloe’s hips while Chloe’s arms loop around her neck. 

“So?” 

“The wedding is almost over.” 

Chloe hums. “It is.”

She arches an eyebrow, as though daring Beca to tell her what she wants. 

Beca clears her throat, readying her heart to take the leap. “I guess I might miss that condescending eye-roll, after all.” 

Chloe grins. “Oh yeah?” She licks her lips, her fingers playing with the small hairs at the back of Beca’s neck. “Because it’s funny, I was just thinking about how I was going to miss that smug expression of yours.” 

Beca squeezes Chloe’s hip, her eyes momentarily dropping to her mouth before sliding back up. “Can I take you out to dinner sometime next week?” 

“A date, huh?” Beca expects her to say something snarky, or to make Beca work for it, but she smiles instead, the kind of smile that reaches her eyes and makes them sparkle. “I’d really like that.” 

Beca smiles; it seems like _two_ good things came out of her not abiding by the law, after all. 

(she’ll eventually admit it was her fault two years later upon accepting her Grammy and briefly telling the story of how she met her fiancée.) 

(nobody will ever let her live that down, the car crash story featuring in Jesse’s speech at her wedding and one that will be told to her and Chloe’s children countless times.) 

(but she doesn’t mind the teasing too much, because forgetting to put on her left turn signal that day? Well... it led her to the love of her life.)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it :) feedback is always appreciated, and you're welcome to connect with me on tumblr @suituuup!


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